Omaha daily bee., 1887-11-30
MIR. LAMAR ON LAND GRANTS.
One Feature of the Secretary's
Forthcoming Annual Report.
HISTORY OF CORPORATE CRIME.
How the Public Domain Was Seized
by the Railroad Octopus and
Honest Settlers Robbed
of Their Rights.
A Dark Record.

IOrtncomlng annual report ~ tne paru WHICH |
relates to the adjustment of railroad land
grants. II reads as follows:
Shortly after my appointment, and as be
came somewhat familiar with the public land |
system, it's organization and the workings
thereof, l became more and more impressed
with the fact that the public domain was
being diverted from its legitimate purpose
and converted to objects the inevitable effects
of which were repugnant to the entire theory
on which the land system was based. Apart
from the methods of the illegal appropra-
ton of the public domain, effected through
the perversion of the several laws for the ac
quiring of title thereto, | became convinced
that the administration Of congressional
giants to wagon and railroads had
given rise TO enormous abuses. Con
gress had not only made grants
which, in some instances, exceeded in
extent the area Of half dozen of the largest
and most populous states of the union, but in
addition provided that any losses of lands
within the granted limits should be satisfied
by the selection of lands within other and
adjoining limits, thus nearly doubling the
area of the original grants. Under these
acts the land department had withdrawn
from public appropriation not only granted
titles, as required by law, but also lands
within the indemnity limits, at the request of
the grantee companies. Thus enormous
quantities of public lands We're held in reser-
walton to await the convenience of the re-
spective corporations in the construction of
their roads, the selections of its lands, and
the uncertain adjustments of grants by the
we pmostinu Tho mo' io oinn IN th, no,
,I,n,;, s 'T iioI VI ~ - Wv, 80 u,
the time, good one; but, in the light of cx-
pIa uihS pu mut ~ ,. aah h'1 thas,, =,
nat oto,;as " otho; ~ ,ha t nt
of the public domain. Though much good
has been wrought certain it is that the leg
% uS "no ivS p",2ou
,,n,o on r"i r.rahio ,vannd 90 thn hnrb"stnnd
sh' "n' hns, ,h. % IA 1'o f,i o,',,a
tnmit, fa, S;,,in,n" it "r ;ts ha"afaont oFnnta
This ~, ,'rnn. s uo ',s rot
l.; nis ] ,aa,u t ',i ""s 10 ast, hUo
tiom 81 f hn si wI ',I doni M cue thn Mannie
m1 ',a,n ,n, m 70 nontoIists a bnsis fo, trot,iS
anu nnnG up ,a ~ ,.nt; SaiaI Sn sbnnS
ro o any nni;", nf ~ ,n,,n'n
t vs. Wy a.. y, y i ",
ma eu 'i w. ' t 49, aoi ' ~ n,nst;
u; ,;i, ~, na amo ,ntiot , v
hrSp,i,csS anu 1ueue t.'u p't, I;. ,,;,h
,IHI No,M i.nS,a'uH ,,.S,, f , ,o
araWals were lilaue eSciusiVe,S lor tte illei
sus VI 1i,' e,o,ii,"nS, ioW VI .'Ia', =, a'S ~
;', '.,ihan m .no tGe Hoa' m ~ .,,o
.iic p'oaoiiu.u III 'lo si"huis ".t' ae ~, t
piees Soi'",u'oh On Mnisu =, VIZ n Siai,, ~,
Js Was nlaut, iai,s " prooae, a;tan s az
,.ona tn'o f,o5 ;,h rn'n;dt, ~ ~ 1anat SIT
'', ,o "on1 i,,Gu mm iui'S an IL, ,ho ,a.o
1, % i . m ,, ;; @ III III, t, t;i
Hshcu uiio ioso s y. ~. .I az 1S s.a.Su s. @ u.,
G uu,lo ',iu , y, strs anu ] "n,5 ,S
kIi,' w., Gst, WIN rair' E'tnsta , '.au
th hit T ii,,s n h ail''' ~ n,aS 5 ooI,
az, ; ;..'v ,h III ~ a., u; ~ - - h;id
m,o, u'a., ,Hnt ~ W. ,,osu im, ,io
SIinS , iii'iiino., 81 va. s 9e.iiot sehnuS
nom .ouu t my IA o m o o
hms t,' o throa nt tba ~ no,i ,ods - ~ bih
no, 9" 20 u I,nn SoS honr 'S m,nSa ~, oon,a
,, oi ,h;a ao oii n'' trho,h ,h S;oa t|t
; vas u.s. tI,s m , .a,u 1es'.u , ,iin,S I.S
ist. no. po appiutrS pp,.i vT1eIou hIS US iaii,oa
heforc Tho " ogeuts Of w" ",u cornorat;ons would
. ucto.o .hI nstn'S VI % .,,o Mouia
&c. up t,ai 10 l. @ VI 'aic t.si,. " oosupy anu
.i uci',u ~ ,on uiiu9l .lio Iltnu VI Way anu uoi
struc'ioh ptlVl'cEts conicrreu py tne grant
ing "c'. nus tnc se.uior, ieIor"hC VI ms
leSai r,fn,s anu Wtn no one to
Hu'lse nm WIN rcSpec' ~ einI. iaW
VI ias.7' 1 Mo''iu ~ ;n ior .no suho " VI
tcaec anu noinc' ie'ui. 'oi'soliu 70 pul'lasc
from lne company. ~ thls way tnesc sor
Iorul'oEs, III @uueillo,' @ 10 .hc i'ii'u stan1cu 10
'',o .'iu anu & ieSeNeu t',S
n y, & ue',l , oa oo,ur @ t"aii 10 Wh,cn
tneS hao ici.hcr ieSai hor moral rlShl, hor
siTuo" mn VI ei olner' ,.,;. ,, ;..,...
ta nG , maiusps t.1p am anu iaiposi.,oii' m
Plus.i',o upph IiiS 'e..icie Weic sieaiS iti-
creaseo uS .nc Gotu svnJii'es VI corpora.e p' :
nseh.s WHY WIZ; , a"ais ,,, VIZ hi.,.o m on
i"has W Wiii'h 'u1 icSai .itio " tolil'ahlcS
had hot atlacheu ana Which alterWaru re-
manned IN tne slii.c cohultloii lor years,
throusn .ho lliuIo ~ w i,iaHv W .',o
hcecssalS aPpiopl ia.ionS ., ioi suiNeSs. nho,.'
ilen.s VI Rluh's, .liJ ialos Vlus SUI pS . .uo
coIhpah! were lounu 10 nc outs oe Oh lne
grants ana determined py the uepartmeht 10
oe puoiic iahas, the purchaser from lhe con-
IuiS iothu niii,sel % ~ AZ ti't vi pius,
uicaihehl VI HaVihS ios1 poln MS laiu anu
ms money. EeI'traiiS, Wi.m1uV iaenns 10 %
cn.or mo oos,S i.s.iun WIN poMetiui ~.
corpoia,,oi, 'no ueprNa'ioi vi MS noiilc' ilic W
cAPenuituIe anu waste on ms years; ms
energy anu S.Iemgeh III reucen,s 'ha. M noInc @
.,;, a WI VII. s ,,; t ~, ne ,or9 ,,,
, , i,ti y, .,'oh nsa'',sa ] 1no eoii,, ~
nmatffercd NOT what might he his cnynitins
nnnn;rod NV voara Of tnis ,vno,, ,,h,. hn ho'
iicvnd ~ bs ny oa,t Of tho notiono, 5nmain II
,uos Sooorod h,, tbo hihost j,,diiI tm;hmr,i
os ovnonmaod ~, ,ho hi,haSt' Ia', , 49, ~
tho oYonnti,,o ~ that IN " ',;,hdro,,ni onno nodo
Wv ,natt ,,,. ', m oa a., n,,S nfsnt
~ % W ~ f.S, H", ',,,;t
in .o eSriuau N hii rom ,i.a"Sion M'tn,i Ia
;St;,o 80 SUI v,so aiI,ah tho
o',u aoo"v W. We .,ilro.vG u''oot Tho rho
sncrotarw hcrn ritoss stbn notnd Guilfora' Nil
ler rnsni '"' Ao''" D'''o'' -'1''
After wears of WAITING copgress had failed
10 cmnoyer the the dcnartmto make tho nee.
essarv surveys whorebv some NJ the grants
might be adjusted and uoiinmediato prospect
of such SURVEYS was in sight. Rut law was
pnssed March q 1857 whereby the sccrctarv